New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-09-27
RAIN ON THE GRAND ARMY
.MuRKY DAY FOR THE VETERANS IN CAMP.
WAR GOVERNORS. OFFICERS AND RANK AND FILE
POURING STEADILY INTO ST. Louis-piscOS-
sIoNs ON PENSION OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
r.Ry OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

poup,xc srEADIIY INTO ST. LOUIs-DIscUs-
sIoNs ON PfNsIoN OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
TARY ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ros CoMMANDER-IN-CHlEF.
rpv rrr FaR TO TIE TRIBUNE]
SrrI,otyIs Sent. 26 Thirty thousand veterans
have come TO the enoampment to-day under wet
h,apket II has rained steadily from dawn to night
fall, and the oldest resident gloomily forecasts
three days storm that will ruin the parades and
disappoint the great concourse OF sigbt-seers
which is adding one hundred thousand to the citys
population, The ram made the camps In the parks
dismal indeed, and the veterans who took posses
s,ou of tb tents left their blankets inside and
spcedily sought more cOngenial surroundings Tor
the day. After nightfall they struggled into camp
70 find an abundance of clean straw and good shell
Ger frop the rain: The soldiers in camp are manly
from Kansas, Missouri, Illinois and adjacent
States Not more than eight thousand slept
under canvas but with fair weather tomorrow
the number will be more than doubled
The Iowa delegation, with General Tuttle at its
head, arrived in the evening and was most enthu'
siast,calIy received. The Indiana veterans came In
about rhe same time, and special trains continued
70 arrive up to midnight The visitors were met
by details from the local Posts, which kept
open house ali day. All eenents for the recep
tion of the veterans were admirably managed The
War Governors were met by O special reception
committee as they arrived. Among those who are
expected as the honored guests of the Grand Army
are Curtin, of Pennsylvania; Oglesby. of Illinois;
Kirkwood, of Iowa; Crawford. of Colorado; Blair.
of Michigan; Carney, of Kansas; Parker. of New
Jersey; Evans, of Colorado; Saunders, OF Ne
hraska; Smith, of Vermont; Lewis, of Wisconsin;
Pefpont, of West Virginia; Sprague, OF
Rhode Island; Steele. of Iowa. and
Fletcher, of Missouri. ThA War Governors
are to have carriages in the line of procession to-
morrow and are to be entertained with luncheons.
banquets and receptions for four days. Ex-Gov-
ernor Palmer o! Illinois; Governor Rusk, OF WIS
consin; General Butler. of Massachusetts,. and Cen
eral j. A. McClernand are also here. With General
Fairchild, who arrived IN the evening from Madi-
son. came Hannibal Hamiin, Acknowledgement
Gray and large company OF WISCONSIN ofhciais.
The Commander-in-Ch Chief was accompanied by two
Grand ArmyP osts from Madison and Chicago ana
was met at the depot by Massachusetts, Post. The
National headquarters were opened soon after his
arrival and final arrangements were made for the
encampment and to-day's parade
DEEP INTEREST SHOWN IN PENsIoNs
The one subject of commanding importance
discussed wherever group OF Grand
Army men is formed is pensions.
generous and liberal Government policy IS
everywhere favored But one mans ideas of gen
erosty and libcrality differ materially fiom those
of a brother comrade, who equally des,rous OF
alike There are unmistakabIe signs. as there have
been in the thousands of veterans letters printed
in THE TRIBUNE, of growing movement In favor
of service pensions The National officers OF the
Grand Army are reluctant to admit that this Is
true and emphaticaly declare that pension legisa-
ton should follow the lines already marked out In
the bill vetoed by the President Those who have
closer communication with the rank and hle OF the
organisation to not hesitate to say that the men
who were the foot soldiers and privates and did
the hardest work in the field are IN favor of a
scryice pension. There are more Veterans
at this encampment than there have been at any
previous one who openly condemn the existing
pension laws putting too great premium upon
hospital records and physicians certihcates
fighting record ought to be worth something. Is an
exclamation that is heard at every turn The SOL
dler who served four years without being wounded
or ever getting into hospital IS regarded by thou
sands of veterans having as strong claim upon
the Nations generosity as the man who got bull
let in arm or leg his first skrmlsh, or who broke
down and slipped into light work in
hospital after his first forced march.
There are many Grand Army men from every sec
ton of the country who are 0utspoken on the sub
iect Corporal Tanner, who is member OF the
Encampment Pension Committee may be quoted
as saying:
-- 81 believe In giving pension to every honor
ably discharged soldier if ne needs it,
The New-York Department as a whole. If state
ments of leading officers are to be believed, is in
favor of reducing the Treasury surplus by Service
Pension bill. From California comes Edward L.
SalOmon, Department Commander, with convlc-
ton tnat needy soldiers whether they have ply
scians certificates or not should nave
pensions, and that no better method OF
reducing the surplus can be devised than
that of generous payments TO veterans. james II.
Wa ha -
with the proyiso that service pensions shall be care
fully graded. Hundreds of other influential De-
partment officers might be quoted as favoring un-
equiyocalIy either uniform OF gladed pension
aa IN genera. the distribution OF good part Of the
Treasury surplus among SOLDIERS who mad nghting
records well as hosp,ta Ger uncates. sOme oi
Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota and Kansas departments
and The feeling generally among the western soi-
diers is favorable to this poncv'
ARGUMENTS AGAINST SERVICE PENSIONS.
There are many, however, who strenuously op-
pose service pensions as impracticable at present.
and urge their comrades to make united effort IN
favor of tho bill to be reported by General Merrill
Drummer Boy Kountz Sergeant Llnehan, Corporal
Tanner AID other members of the Pensions CON-
mittee to the National Encampment. They argue
aud wat until the disabled and destitute soldiers
are provided for in bili to be passed by Congress
winter They declare that great moDts
for q disabled soldier with an ADMINISTRATION nos
tile TO new classes of pensions IN power ana that
will be out OF the question to obtain *o ior every
soldier who served under the flag Otner leaders
Of the Grand Army Who are sympathy with the
movement IN favor of service pensions, iasist that
the demand ought not to be made prematureiy, put
only after thorough scheme Of classlncauon has
been matured. they contend that the American
people will consider IL unjust 10 reward equally
soldiers WHO served three months. one year and
three or even four years. They urge the necessity
Of limiting service pensions In the hrst instance
70 three years men who have reached
certain age. and then Of enlargpg
the lists in subsequent acts. They declare
that the advocates of service pensions cannot tne,
seIyes agree non the principles Of o graded bill
and that until they able to do soi they cannot
expect Congress to act favorabiy apon their re-
qpesis for legislation. Tney regard CLASSIFICATION
~ the true solution Of tho pensions problem and
contend that the first relief measure should include